4 Reasons to Hire a Videographer

Since I announced yesterday that my husband will be joining me in the business as a videographer, I thought this would be a great time to write a post about 4 reasons to hire a videographer. Whenever I’m first meeting with my couples, I like to touch base about where they are in the planning process. More than half of the time, they say they aren’t sure about hiring a videographer. Like photos you look at all the time, but how often will you watch a video? Is five minutes of film worth the investment? Would anyone else care about watching the video? Is hiring a videographer a necessary part of the planning process?

The short answer is yes!

I know wedding planning is expensive AF and videography might be an after thought. So, whenever I am talking to a couple and they tell me they’re not planning on hiring a videographer, my response is always “make sure you at least get a recording of the vows and speeches because you won’t have a clue what was said after the fact.”

On the other side of things, I know how important those five minutes of video footage are. They tell the story of the day in a way photos can’t. Therefore, I’m not going to try to convince you to spend more money for the heck of it, but I am going to try to convince you that videography is a necessary investment.

Here are 4 reasons videography should not be an afterthought!

1. Photos tell the emotions of the day while videos show you

Think about the moment you’re walking down the aisle. If you’re like most brides, you’ve thought about this moment more times than you can count. You can’t wait to see your groom’s reaction. You can’t wait to see all your closest friends and family get emotional as they stand to welcome you. You know your photographer will capture the shock as he sees you, but can photos capture the single tear falling? It’s not likely. In fact, it’s pretty hard to see all the emotions your groom is trying hard to contain from a photo. He’ll be smiling. He’ll be happy. He’ll be emotional. But, you won’t have the whole story. You’ll see pieces of the story taken every couple seconds. Video gets him from the moment your eyes lock to the moment he shakes your father’s hand at the altar. That type of story can’t be captured in photos.

2. Photos can’t capture words

I mentioned this earlier as the one must have when planning your wedding. Even if you don’t hire a videographer, you need to capture the speeches and vows. Would you prefer some grainy cell phone footage where you can barely make out the words and see the reactions or would you like a professionally edited video with studio quality sound? As important as capturing the words are, you want to make sure you can actually comprehend every word beyond the cheers and tears. Video will show you the moment your father stands, holding back tears to talk about how you’re all grown up and marrying the man of your dreams. Video will show you your maid-of-honor standing to talk about all your college mishaps. Photos will capture the reactions, but will you know exactly what was said to bring about that expression? Probably not.

3. Video captures every awkward mishap

You may think you don’t really need every moment captured, but won’t you want to see the awkward second your bridesmaid almost trips down the stairs? Yeah, it has happened before. Photos can only do that moment so much justice. Without the right context, the photo might look like she just took a wrong step but video will show you the full thing. Same goes for less than awkward moments. The moment your mom gives you that extra squeeze as she’s zipping up your dress or the “oh sh*t” reaction the groom has when he sees you during your first look. Photos give you a glimpse into the day, but video shows you from start to finish.

4. The video isn’t just for you

I know it’s weird to think about, but the video is as much for your future kids (or cats) as it is for you. It’s for your mom who was too emotional/preoccupied to get the full feelings of the day. It’s also for your out of town family members who weren’t able to see your day. In this day of social media, videos are viewed way more than photos, so it’s so much easier to send someone a 5-minute YouTube link that will give them the day from start to finish than to have them skim through 1000 pictures. Your current and future family will thank you for this.

There you have it! Videography is a very necessary investment and should be part of your planning process. I wish I had a highlight video from my wedding to tell the whole story. Photos are great, but they can only tell you so much.

If you’re interested in learning about how to book an amazing photo/video team who will bring your wedding day to life, check out my new videography page and reach out today!

Here’s a short video of my favorite moments from our last few weddings!